Reed, Churchill top Clark in Gucci Bowl

1of9Charger running back Jordan Cardenas picks a way through the middle as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

2of9Clark quarterback Antonio De La Trigg can’t escape the defensive pressure from Churchill defensive end Juane Palmer. The Chargers shut out the Cougars after giving up a field goal.Photo: Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-News

3of9Cougar fans start up the cheering pre game as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

4of9Charger students yell for their team as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

5of9Cheer squad members for the Chargers reach the stands and open the season as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

6of9Charger running back Dandre Reed tries the left side in the first half against Cougar defensive back Will Buchman as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

7of9Charger running back Jordan Cardenas slants through the middle as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

8of9Cougar running back Jake Stewart finds a seam and slips by Charger defender Joseph Isenhart as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

9of9Churchill's Dandre Reed blows through the last opening between Cooper Morgan (11) and Chris Rollins (12) for a touchdown sprint after catching a pass in the first half as Clark hosts Churchill in the "Gucci Bowl" at Farris Stadium on August 27, 2015.Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

The first quarter of the annual season-opening rivalry game between Clark and Churchill favored the team that hadn’t won the contest in a few years.

The Cougars drove down the field, picked up first downs and scored the first points.

Then Churchill senior Dandre Reed found some open space on the first play of the second quarter, and it changed.

The play resulted in one of Reed’s three touchdowns Thursday night in 27-3 nondistrict win at Farris Stadium.

“We know Dandre’s a special talent,” Churchill coach Ron Harris said. “He has a lot of people around him that can complement him, but he’s one of those kids that any time he touches it, he can make something happen.”

Reed finished with seven catches for 145 yards and two receiving touchdowns. His only carry of the night came on a double reverse, and he took that into the end zone for a 22-yard score.

Reed said the first touchdown felt the best out of the three. It also could have been most pivotal one of the contest. Reed took a quick screen pass from senior quarterback Devin Faktor, picked up a block by junior wide receiver Jordan Billups and ran past the defense for a 59-yard touchdown.

Faktor was 11-of-14 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Reed said a tweaked game plan wasn’t the difference between the stagnant first quarter and the second quarter.

“We just came out and executed better,” Reed said.

Churchill’s defense stifled Clark in the final three quarters of a game that has been dubbed the Gucci Bowl, a rivalry game that dates back to 1984. The last time the Cougars did not score a touchdown in the game was in 1997, when Churchill won 31-3. The Chargers have won six straight games between the teams, the longest streak in series history.

Not only did the win tack on another victory to Churchill’s streak, the Chargers gave Harris his first victory as a coach.

Harris, like many players on his team, were under the lights in a different role for the first time in their careers. After a slow start, Reed’s speed helped carry the Chargers to a crucial first victory.

“I think as they started to settle down and got into the flow of the game and realized that they get to compete,” Harris said, “they worked the butterflies out and started to do what they’re capable of doing.”

Ben Baby has covered high school sports for the Express-News since September 2014. The native of Grapevine, Texas, attended the University of North Texas and is a proud alumnus of the Denton Record-Chronicle.